At least 80 killed in US strike on Iranian warship: Sri Lankan minister
Authorities say they have rescued 32 people so far
[WASHINGTON] At least 80 were people killed in a US submarine strike on an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka’s deputy foreign minister Arun Hemachandra said on Wednesday (Mar 4).
The attack triggered a distress call, prompting the Sri Lankan armed forces to launch a search and rescue operation.
Sri Lanka’s authorities said they have rescued 32 people so far, and recovered several bodies from the sea.
Sources from the country’s navy and defence ministry said the vessel had been attacked off its Indian Ocean coast by a submarine, and at least 101 people were missing in the incident.
The defence sources said it was unclear who attacked the ship.
A spokesperson for the Sri Lankan navy said it was not true 101 people were missing, and rejected any reports on the cause of the ship sinking.
The US strikes on Iran’s navy is a central part of the war it launched against the Middle Eastern nation on Saturday.
On Tuesday, the US military’s central command said it had already sunk 17 Iranian warships, and that it was on track to destroy Iran’s entire navy. REUTERS
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